New England
Patriots
17-2
20
FINAL
27
Indianapolis
Colts
17-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Conference Championship showdown, the Indianapolis Colts narrowly defeated the New England Patriots, 27-20, securing their spot in the Super Bowl. With both teams vying for a chance at glory in the 2026 season, the stakes were high, and the atmosphere was electric at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Peyton Manning was the star for the Colts, throwing for 295 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his elite passing ability. Marvin Harrison was his favorite target, racking up an impressive 152 receiving yards, while LaDainian Tomlinson contributed significantly on the ground with 86 rushing yards. Together, they orchestrated a balanced offensive attack that kept the Patriots' defense on its heels throughout the game.
On the defensive side, the Colts made crucial stops, led by Tyjuan Hagler, who recorded seven total tackles, helping to stifle New England’s offensive momentum. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Indianapolis intercepted a pass, shifting the tide in their favor and allowing them to control the clock. With their defense stepping up when it mattered most, the Colts secured the victory and a chance to compete for the championship.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peyton Manning | QB | 29 | 22 | 76% | 295 | 2 | 0 | 130.6 |
| Tom Brady | QB | 33 | 21 | 64% | 272 | 1 | 0 | 99.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaDainian Tomlinson | HB | 14 | 86 | 6.1 | 31 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Laurence Maroney | HB | 15 | 44 | 2.9 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Corey Dillon | HB | 9 | 34 | 3.8 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Dominic Rhodes | HB | 10 | 27 | 2.7 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Tom Brady | QB | 7 | 17 | 2.4 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| De De Dorsey | HB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| Marvin Harrison | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Chad Jackson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrence Wilkins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peyton Manning | QB | 2 | -2 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvin Harrison | WR | 7 | 152 | 21.7 | 78 | 1 | 70 | 0 |
| Chad Jackson | WR | 6 | 127 | 21.2 | 26 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Reggie Wayne | WR | 5 | 67 | 13.4 | 21 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| Benjamin Watson | TE | 7 | 66 | 9.4 | 16 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Troy Brown | WR | 3 | 48 | 16.0 | 6 | 1 | 20 | 1 |
| Terrence Wilkins | WR | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Michael Mills | TE | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jerome Collins | TE | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Dominic Rhodes | HB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | — | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Dallas Clark | TE | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Donald Caldwell | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| LaDainian Tomlinson | HB | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Laurence Maroney | HB | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| De De Dorsey | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Ben Utecht | FB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Derrick Gaffney | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyjuan Hagler | MIKE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Vrabel | LEDG | 4 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asante Samuel | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bob Sanders | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eugene Wilson | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Artrell Hawkins | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cato June | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Bethea | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ellis Hobbs | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dwight Freeney | LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrall Rushing | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rashad Baker | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Narond Alexander | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anthony McFarland | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dan Klecko | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vincent Wilfork | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rosevelt Colvin | REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gary Brackett | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Marlin Jackson | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tim Jennings | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Richard Seymour | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Johnathan Sullivan | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tedy Bruschi | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darrell Reid | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kelvin Hayden | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michael Doss | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Junior Seau | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Willie Andrews | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Vinatieri | K | 2 | 2 | 3 | 49 |
| Stephen Gostkowski | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 36 |
| Josh Miller | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

